Catch one's breath Background: I climbed Mt. Fuji the other day and a Japanese coworker asked me if the altitude made the hike difficult. I wanted to say "The altitude didn't make it too difficult but there were times when it was hard for me to catch my breath." I'm specifically interested in the phrase "catch one's breath". Researching online, I have found the phrase. The English translation given is "catch one's breath" but this seems to be specifically the "breathtaking" meaning. Is there a phrase that accurately describes the act of "returning to a state of normal respiration after physical exertion causes one's breath to be heavy and labored"?

Taking the liberty of rounding up the expressions suggested in the comments...

* {}{}: To restore heavy, labored or otherwise irregular breathing to a stable, orderly pattern.

* {}{}: To take in a breath between periods of breathlessness, like when singing or swimming. Also refers to taking a break from activity to have a rest and relax.

* {}: To breathe out (once). Often used figuratively to mean "to have a breather". In the latter sense it is synonymous with {}{}(the second meaning) and {}.




So I think is the best fit for your description. As for the translation, you can say something like (or ) or , or try something more casual and say

And as you suspect, {}{} means "to take in a sudden breath", as when struck by awe, surprise, breath-taking beauty, etc. So this one has the least relevance in this case.